The Forced Engacement
by Raasberries
Summary: Mostly in Lily's POV. What has happened to the Marauders? They don't seem the same and Potter won't even talk to me? What is going on? And what is he doing with Bellatrix Lestrange? Sorry it's a short summary. One-Shot on Lily/James love.


**A/N: I got this idea when i was daydreaming and bits and parts from when i was reading other fanfics but yeah i hope you like it. i kind of just got bored and let my mind wonder. It's all in Lily's POV.**

Oh great, another year back at Hogwarts. Don't get me wrong, I loved going to school at Hogwarts if only a certain 3 people would leave me alone. **(A/N: I'm sorry, I don't really like Pettigrew's character so I will most definitely not be including him in this story, only the good-looking 3 Marauders. Honestly, who is going to disagree that Pettigrew isn't the easiest person to write about in a story considering what happens later :/) **Sirius Black is the head and leader of the Marauders, he never seems to be alone, and is extremely popular, especially with the girls. James Potter is the second in command of the Marauders, he also never seems to be alone and is also extremely popular, also especially with the girls. Remus Lupin is the third Marauder, he also never seems to be alone and is also extremely popular, also especially with the girls even though he refuses to date anybody. I figured out a few years ago that Remus was is a werewolf and that is what makes him his usual tired self but he must be the kindest most decent one of the Marauders. Or maybe it's just because I don't spend enough time talking to Black and Potter because they don't give me the time of day. Instead, they'd just mess with me pulling off those stupid pranks of theirs. It is my seventh year at Hogwarts and I've got to say, all these years the Marauders were always on my tail, making fun of me in any way they thought was possible. But then again, the atmosphere when the Marauders are around is definitely different. When the Marauders are around, they seem to be able to make a simply boring day into a laughing comedy show. I'll just prepare for the worst of this year I guess. I'm head girl of Gryffindor and I wonder who is the head boy? I honestly hope it's not…. And as I walk into the prefects' compartment I meet my doom. Sitting right in front of me was the handsomely deceiving devil himself, James Potter. As if expecting somebody has laid eyes on him he opens his wide eyes in surprise and quickly leave the compartment. Ok that was weird but he never did end up coming back to the compartment. Later as I was wandering the train I saw Potter sitting with Frank, one of my good friends and Frank seemed to be talking to him about something but by the lost look on Potter's face, I don't think he was really listening. Where was the rest of the Marauders? I looked in the compartment just beside the one Potter was in and there sat Black and Remus but they don't seem to be amused. They weren't around their usual group of girls and they weren't exactly up to their usual pranks too. What is going on? I walk back to my compartment and I kept thinking about this the whole ride to Hogwarts.

When we got to Hogwarts I immediately notice that Black was sitting by himself and usually he would be wolfing down the food in front of him but he was just staring at the empty plate in front of him.

"Where's Potter and Remus?" I asked him as I sat across from him.

"Talking to Dumbledore." he mumbled out as he had his arm covering his mouth.

"Why?" I asked him curiously.

"Because Prongs can't be head boy with you being head girl so he was going to get Moony to take his place." he answered somewhat annoyingly.

"What? Shouldn't I be the one that doesn't want to be head girl while he's in head boy position?" I asked him.

"I didn't say that he doesn't WANT to, Evens. I said that he CAN'T be." he answered as he got up and moved to the other end of the table.

My best friend Alice comes over and asks me, "What was that about?"

"Just asking Black something, nothing big." I replied.

"How peculiar, the Marauders are not acting like themselves. I mean Sirius over there, sitting by himself? It's just not what I'm used to if you know what I mean?" she replied.

I didn't answer her but I did know what she meant. The Marauders are simply never like this. Black is usually over bugging the girls and the girls would flirt along but he seems like he doesn't want the attention and that he would exchange his popularity for whatever he is worried about. I kept thinking about what Black said to me_, "I didn't say that he doesn't WANT to, Evens. I said that he CAN'T be."_ What did he mean? Just then Potter and Remus walked into the Great Hall with rather troubled and sad faces and with Dumbledore right behind them. Remus headed over to where Black was sitting but Dumbledore escorted Potter to go sit at the Ravenclaw table. What?!

I walk over to where Remus was sitting and I asked him, "What was that about?"

"Um…." he said looking over at Black who just shook his head. "Well, long story made short, Potter can't talk or interact with us or you, so just don't pester him about this, it's better this way."

Then I heard Black murmur something like, "She's in Slytherin….of course….Ravenclaw….Prongs is so smart….anything but Gryffindor anyways…."

Both Black and Remus is just sitting there staring at their plates. They would sometimes look over to what Potter was doing curiously but Potter was just sitting there uneasily as Bellatrix Lestrange was clinging to his arm. He managed to shrug her off and walk out of the great hall. I wonder where he's going?

"Why was Lestrange just clinging to Potter? Is there something I'm missing?" I asked the two boys jealously. I did sound jealous. Why was I so jealous? I've grown so much with Potter always being around me that I didn't even notice that I've grown to liking his very presence. Potter just being there brightens my day. The two Marauders, finding my questioning annoying just picked themselves up and left the great hall.

The next day, during our classes, Potter was sitting farthest away from Black, Remus and I. Thank god, Lestrange was in sixth year so she was in none of our classes or I might have puked if I saw the two together again. Potter looked terrible though. He looked like he hasn't been sleeping, and that he spent his nights worrying about something. After all our classes, I decided to go to the library. The professors must be happy that the Marauders aren't making any trouble right? Wrong. All the teachers were bored and out of place because the Marauders weren't doing anything to get themselves in trouble. As I was looking through the library for a book, I saw Potter. He was looking for a book and as he passed me, he didn't even notice or acknowledge my presence. I started, "Po—"

I was cut off with somebody's hand over my mouth. It was Frank Longbottom, my friend and a fellow Ravenclaw. He said slyly, "Don't call his name, do you want to get his family killed?"

"Get his family killed?" I asked.

"I've said too much already." he replied and walked after Potter.

After that day at the library, I've seen him sitting near the lake, just reading. Peacefully, sitting there, just reading, like if the world fell now, he wouldn't even notice because he was so interested in his book. I kept thinking back to what Frank said to me_, "do you want to get his family killed?" "I've said too much already." _What did he mean? I'm starting to worry this wasn't just a hate war in between Potter and me.

Christmas finally came and figuring out what was going on with Potter wasn't starting to happen. Whenever I approached Black or Frank or when I chat with Remus while we are doing our patrols they would simply say, "I'm sorry, we can't say anything." Then just today Black ran after me while we were leaving class and asked, "Evens, you want to know what's going on so badly? Why don't you come over to the family dinner we're having tonight for Christmas at my house. Prongs is going to be there and his family too. Maybe you can catch a drift of what's going on."

I decided that this might be a great opportunity to find out what's going on with Potter. I arrived at the Black house and I was greeted by a handsome guy who came to open the door for me. He had dark brown hair and he was a splitting image of Potter only he had blue eyes instead of hazel. Then a lady came behind him, she also had dark brown hair but she had hazel eyes, I guess that's where Potter got his good looks, from his two parents here. She says, "Who is it, hun?"

"I'm Lily Evens, Bl— Sirius invited me." I said to them.

"Oh, you're Lily Evens? If Sirius invited you than you are more than welcome to come in, please do." the lady said as she moved aside so I could step through. "By the way, I'm Dorea Potter, James' mother, and this is Charlus Potter, James' father."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." I replied.

After talking to them for quite a long time while we were sitting in the Black's living room, I came to a conclusion that Potter's parents were quite a nice couple. They seemed to be good people. Black then entered the living room and said, "Oh, Evens! You're here! That's great! Want to come see something?"

I was curious to what he wanted me to see so I followed him and he brought me to the back part of the house where there was a large window besides the door that leads to the back yard. I looked amazed as I watched Potter as he was happily playing with a little boy. Who was that little boy? I looked over and Black seemed to be in a trance. His happiness was relevant in every relaxed muscle in his face. "That's Prongs' little brother. He means the world to Prongs."

Understandingly I nodded to his comment that seemed to be the exact answer to the question that was recently floating in my mind. We watched them for a while until Potter picked his little brother up and walked inside. He didn't seem to notice us watching him as he brought his little brother up to a room because his little brother seemed to have fallen asleep in his arms. When he walked into the sitting room where Black and I were chatting, Lestrange was clinging to his arm and the happiness from his earlier face when he was playing with his brother was gone.

"What is she doing here?" Lestrange questioned Black.

All the relaxed happiness was drained from his face and was left with a sneer as he slyly said, "If you're going to have a Christmas party at my house than you'll have to respect MY guests."

"You invited her?" Lestranged questioned.

"Yes." Black replied sternly as they stared each other down.

Throughout their stare down, Potter was just standing there uncomfortably as I look at his hands which one of them was loosely entwined with Lestrange's hand. It kind of looked like he didn't want to be holding her hand. After that whole night, I found out two things. First, Potter is engaged to Lestrange. Second, the whole Potter and Black family and I mean the WHOLE Potter AND Black family seemed to be unhappy about this engagement.

I had a lot to think about through Christmas and everything that happened before Christmas was the same as usual with Potter making it his best effort to ignore me until something happened in potions class. For some reason Lestrange made her way into our class and worst of worst she was partnered with Potter. I was partnered with Frank. As we made our potions and time went by, we made a great batch of the potion we were supposed to make. When Potter and Lestrange got and E Lestrange was so happy and clinging to Potter's arm where Potter seemed utterly annoyed as his eyes accidentally caught mine I almost read "help me" in his eyes before he forced himself to look away. When he got to the potion me and Frank made we got an O. Even though I got some claps from the Gryffindors, I got even more sneers from the Slytherins, and especially a death glare from Lestrange. Potter seemed to be the first person to leave, not wanting to be anywhere nearer to Lestrange but when everybody has left, I was left alone with a bunch of Slytherin kids. As Lestrange verbally killed me in the inside about me being a muggle born I clutched my wand as Lestrange says, "Clutching your wand I see, mudblood! You think you can out spell us?"

"_Sectumsempra!_" Snape said behind Lestrange pointing his want at me.

I've never even heard or that spell before. I knew that only meant one thing. Not a good thing. Before I could react I was sure the spell was going to hit me when I heard two boys yell, "_Defendo!_"

A large shield covered me as I looked up to my two saviors. It was Black and Potter. Why did they just save me? As I looked out of my shield I saw three boys throwing spells at the over numbering Slytherins but the Marauders had some great spells up their sleeves. After all of that Lestrange panted and left the room saying, "You broke the promise! They're dead Potter, you hear me, they're dead!"

At that I saw Potter drop to the ground. Black and Remus put their wands to the powerful shield the two top students put on me and all three of us looked over to where Potter was crouched on the ground. It was Black who broke the silence, "You okay, Prongs?"

"That's it Padfoot, I broke the promise, he's going to kill them." he said silently, so silent that I almost didn't hear him.

Remus went over and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he sat there until he had the courage to stand up and walk back to his common room.

It was head girl and head boy's duty to patrol the halls tonight so that's what we did and as we were walking by Dumbledore's office a little girl was dragging a boy to Dumbledore's office, where Professor Mcgongall was waiting. The boy had messy dark brown hair which I could make out right away that it was James Potter. He was in an awful condition too. His hands were cut and I couldn't help but notice his tears that streaked his face. Before I could ask what happened Dumbledore walked out of his office and looked at Potter. As if on cue, Potter slammed his already bleeding hands against the wall repeatedly. He didn't stop until the little girl yanked on one of his arms and yelled, "Stahp it, cousin! You're going to kill your hands!"

"I'm so sorry James, my boy, there was nothing we could do. We left right after you came to tell us what happened but when we got there, there was nobody living in the house." Dumbledore replied putting a rounded little silver ball into Potter's hands.

"My first golden snitch." Potter croaked.

"It was in his hands when I found him, at least you can say, he left thinking about you." Dumbeldore replied.

That just made it worse. That just ended Potter with slamming his fist into the wall again and yelled, "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM! I WANT OUT OF HERE NOW PROFESSOR! I WANT OUT OF HERE NOW SO I CAN KILL HIM! HE WILL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN!"

There was a shimmer to the left of me and there appeared Black with tears running down his face as he also agreed, "I'm going with him."

"Me too!" replied the all so silent Remus who I forgot was even beside me with tears also running down his face.

"As your guardian as of right now and as your godfather I can't let you do that James, my boy, you can't risk your life for something your parents risked to save." Dumbledore replied with tears also running down his face.

Was I missing something? What happened? That answer came soon as I was reading the paper the next morning. It seemed as if everybody had read the paper and knew what happened. Even some of the Slytherins seemed disappointed and gloomy. The whole atmosphere of Hogwarts was gloomy and unsettling. I looked over to the Marauders for their presence but there weren't there. I decided to head out to find them. I found them at the tree near the lake where they were digging a decent whole, not too big to fit a body, but not too small. They were planting the snitch. The snitch his brother was holding as he died. I read the paper this morning and was astonished to hear what had happened. Everything fit together. Potter couldn't be associated with me because Lestrange has always like him and since Lestrange was like a sister to the Dark Lord, she got him involved and if he doesn't stick to the promise or black mail, his family was to die, even his 1 year old little brother. That's just cruel.

Potter was put back in Gryffindor but he certainly wasn't happy. So I tried to cheer him up as he was head boy again and I tried to get him back to his old pranking self. With the help of the other Marauders even though it took most of the year, we got James Potter back or should I say my James Potter back.

_We just finished patrolling the halls and we headed back to the Gryffindor common room. In the past rest of the year, I got to know James more and more and you could say we started becoming friends rather than rivals. We sat down on the comfy couch near the fire because it's a great place to relax after you just spent an hour patrolling the halls. So I decided to start a conversation since we were sitting in silence. "So why did you risk it? Why did you risk your family and saving me?"_

_"Because I couldn't see you die, I went back to get my textbook when I heard Snape yell one of those spells that he makes up, spells that can kill you. And I couldn't let you die, you mean too much to me." he said slightly tilting his head to me but not taking his eyes away from the fire._

_"Do I really? I mean, do I really mean that much to you?" I asked feeling butterflies in my stomach._

_"Yeah." he replied, still not taking his gaze away from the fireplace._

_"Oh, well, I'm sorry but I can't say the same thing for you." I said mockingly but he couldn't see that in my face since he was too concentrated on how the fireplace looks._

_I looked over and all the hope has left his eyes as he started to get up to leave but I grabbed his hand and pulled him back and said, "You don't mean much to me because you mean everything to me. I can't cope with not having you in my life. I would die, if you were not alive to be with me."_

_That is when he finally turned his gaze and looked right into my eyes. As we stared at each other at what seemed like eternity, he brought his lips down on mine and I couldn't believe how soft his lips were. Plus, the rumor about him being a good kisser was true. It took me a millisecond before I responded by kissing him back as I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck and entwine my finders in his hair. His arms snaked it's way around my waist and his tongue played with my bottom lip asking for entrance. I gladly let him in and our tongues entwined with each other and our little kiss turned into a full out passionate make out session when somebody cleared his throat. We both turned around to look at some very amused friends as Sirius says smirking, "Well it's about time don't you think?"_

_"I love you, Lily." James said._

_"I love you too, James." I replied before returning to what we were doing. _

**A/N: Well i hope you liked this one-shot cause i honestly wouldn't know how to continue this but yeah i hope you like it :) maybe review for future references ;) thanks for reading! :)**


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